Successful Internships Don’t
Just Happen!
How to Conduct an Effective
Mentor/Intern Forum
Maryland PDS Conference – May 3, 2014 – Stevenson University
Key Players In the Presentation

Gray Jack:
Liaison

Melissa Reid:
Site Coordinator

Stacie Siers:
Regional PDS Coordinator

Ron Siers:
Assistant Professor
Expectations & Goals

How to promote and secure time for the forum from
principals.

Develop collaborative and communicative skills.

Learn the importance of value congruency for mentors and
interns.

Learn why co-planning & co-teaching are effective pedagogy.

Learn what mentors and interns need and want.

Conceptualize the roles of the mentor.

Acquire resources, information and confidence for delivering a
quality mentor/intern forum at your PDS.
Growth Opportunities

Data Analysis (Mentor & Interns) revealed that
miscommunication and a lack of understanding of roles
and expectations were major causes of problems during
the Internship.

How can we improve interns’ and mentor teachers’
common understanding of roles and expectations during
the Internship?

How can we improve communication between interns,
mentor teachers and university faculty during the
internship?
Pieces to the Puzzle
Communication
Skills
Value
Congruency
Co-Teaching
Co –Planning
Skills
Being Prepared
Successful
Mentor/Intern
Forum
Roles of
Mentors &
Interns
Administration
Buy In
Administration
Buy In
How to get the “Green Light”
from Administrators
Administrative Buy-In
(Siers, 2013)

Meet with the administration

Present Co-Teaching data & value of the Forum

Use multiple methods of providing information
(i.e. PP, handouts, newsletter, website, etc.)

Provide on-going updates to Principal as the
program is implemented.
What do you focus on
during the forum?
Purpose of the Forum
(Siers 2013)

Relationship Building between the Mentor & Intern




Collaboration/Communication



The Importance of Communication: How Do You Toss Your
Slippery Eggs?
Dealing with Sensitive Issues: Communication Situations
Why Co-Teaching & Co-Planning



Getting to know each other
Pair Communication
Value Identification & the Internship
Co-Teaching Data and Research Findings: Benefits & Growth
Opportunities
Co-Teaching Myths & Realities
What Is Your Role?


How to Be an Effective Intern & Mentor
Conceptualizing the Roles of the Mentor Teacher during the
Internship
Communication Skills

Mentors & Interns participant in a variety
of activities dealing with “Communication”
One participant the Intern
One participant the Mentor
1st Activity:
Pair Communication
Discuss & Determine

What type/frequency of communication would
we like to have with each other during the
internship?

How will we ensure regular communication with
each other during the internship?

What is the best way to give each other feedback
during the internship?
2nd Activity:
Pair Communication
Discuss Responses to the Following
Co-Teaching Statements




I am comfortable telling my Co-Teacher what I
need.
I find it difficult to express my opinions when my
Co-Teacher doesn’t share them.
I tend to postpone discussing touchy topics with
my Co-Teacher.
I find it important for tasks to be clearly defined
and distributed when Co-Teaching.
Activity 2 Cont’d:
Pair Communication
Discuss Responses to the following
Personal Statements

I am comfortable being told by others what they
need from me.

I express my opinions, even if others disagree
with me.

I become defensive when I am being criticized.

I am able to resolve problems without getting
emotionally intoxicated.
Values & Self-Discovery Exercise
Value
Congruency
Interns & Mentors will participate in a
“Values Activities”
Discussion on Deeper Communication &
Uncomfortable Issues
2nd Exercise: Deeper Communication &
Sensitive Topics
How Do You Toss Your Slippery Eggs?
Be Careful That You Do Not:
 Save your “slippery eggs” for a long time and hurl them!
 Throw your “slippery eggs” hard & fast because you can’t
hold on to tough issues!
 Avoid people so that you don’t have to toss your “slippery
eggs.”
 Wrap your “slippery eggs” in so many layers of expectations
& apology that no one is sure you have tossed them.
Heck, T., Bacharach, N., Dahlberg K., Ofstedal, K.,
Mann, B., Wellik, J., & Dank, M. (2010).
Addressing Difficult Issues
Communication: Learning to Address Difficult Issues
Would you agree…
Mentor Teacher Issues with Interns:
Lateness
Personal Hygiene/Body Odor
Unrelated work during school day (Text, twitter, Facebook, etc.)
Grammar Issues
Classroom Management Issues
Interns Issues with Mentor Teachers:
Lack of Specific Feedback
Inappropriate Use of Co-Planning time
Unwillingness to allow intern to try new methods and ideas
No individual space in the classroom
Stepping in to much and to soon
Co-Teaching & Co-planning
Co-Teaching
Co –Planning
Skills
Explain the Benefits
Data & Research on Co-teaching
Why Co-Teach
Landmark research in 1996: 50% of new teachers leave the
profession within the first 5 years of teaching (DarlingHammond & Schlan, 1996)
Clinical Experiences are Needed that allow interns to learn from
expert modeling of practice alongside teachers who show them
how to teach in ways that are responsive to diverse learners
(Darling-Hammond, 2006)
Co-Teaching Model has great promise for transforming the
educational landscape (Bacharach, Heck, & Dahlberg, 2010)
Importance of Co-teaching &
Co-planning
Co-Teaching
Co –Planning
Skills
What is Co-teaching?

Co-Teaching is defined as two teachers working together
in a classroom with groups of students; sharing the
planning, organization, delivery and assessment of
instruction as well as the physical space.

Both teachers are actively involved and engaged in all
aspects of instruction.
(Bacharach, Bergen-Mann & Washut Heck, 2010)
St. Cloud’s Math Data




Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA)
Compares Traditional and Co-taught student teaching settings
Statistically significant in each year with sufficient data (3 of 4)
Significance between co-taught and traditional student teaching highlighted
Co-Taught
One Licensed
Teacher
Traditional
Student
Teaching
P
OVERALL
(4 Year Cumulative)
72.9%
(N=1519)
63.7%
(N=6467)
63.0%
< .001
Free/Reduced Lunch
Eligible
54.2%
(N=513)
47.3%
(N=2778)
45.7%
.032
Special Education
Eligible
72.0%
54.7%
48.9%
< .001
English Language
Learners
30.5%
28.8%
26.8%
.656
MCA Math
Proficiency
(N=472)
(N=118)
(N=1906)
(N=671)
(N=597)
(N=232)
(N=180)
(N=41)
St. Cloud’s Reading Data




Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA)
Compares Traditional and Co-taught student teaching settings
Statistically significant in each year with sufficient data (3 of 4)
Significance between co-taught and traditional student teaching highlighted
Co-Taught
One Licensed
Teacher
Traditional
Student
Teaching
P
OVERALL
(4 Year Cumulative)
78.8%
(N=1461)
67.2%
(N=6403)
64.0%
< .001
Free/Reduced Lunch
Eligible
65.0%
(N=477)
53.1%
(N=2684)
49.5%
< .001
Special Education
Eligible
74.4%
52.9%
46.4%
< .001
English Language
Learners
44.7%
30.7%
25.8%
.069
MCA Reading
Proficiency
(N=433)
(N=76)
(N=1945)
(N=515)
(N=572)
(N=222)
(N=179)
(N=31)
SU Co-Teaching Benefits for Students
Co-Teaching Benefits for Students (K-12)
Percent Responding
N=1,686
More help with questions
79.7%
Different Styles of teaching
68.9%
More individual attention
66.4%
Get two-perspectives
65.8%
Teachers build off each other
60.3%
More creative lessons
51.2%
Assignments graded & returned faster
50.9%
More energy between teachers
46.1%
Better discussions
45.0%
More in-depth knowledge
43.1%
No benefits
4.0%
SU Co-Teaching Benefits for Interns
Co-Teaching Benefits for Interns
Percent Responding
N=249
Improved classroom management skills
92.4%
Increased collaboration skills
92.0%
More teaching time
90.0%
Deeper understanding of curriculum through coplanning
89.2%
More opportunities to ask question and reflect
88.6%
Increased confidence
88.4%
SU Co-Teaching Benefits for Mentors
Co-Teaching Benefits for Mentors
Percent Responding
N=326
More help for students with high need
94.5%
A better relationship with student intern
92.3%
Professional growth through co-planning
90.5%
Enhanced energy for teaching
89.0%
Ability to host intern without giving up
classroom/gym
87.1%
What is Your Role?
Mentor or Intern?
What is Your Role?
Intern or Mentor?
Roles of
Mentors
&
Interns
Activity 1: What is your Role
in this Partnership
1. Split up: Interns with Interns & Mentors with Mentors
2. Independently list characteristics
3. Then, Mentor/intern partners share list
4. Discuss as a whole group
5. Big idea- What kinds of things should a mentor
teacher do?
Be Prepared
Reserve a room and time slot
 Agendas
 Handouts ready
 PowerPoint presentation
 Technology set up
 Refreshments
 Evaluations

All the pieces come together…
Communication
Skills
Value
Congruency
Being Prepared
Successful
Mentor/Intern
Forum
Co-Teaching
Co –Planning
Skills
Roles of
Mentors &
Interns
Administration
Buy In
What did the Mentors, Interns, and
Administration say…..
Dee Shorts
Principal
Jamie Fallin:
SU Intern
Kim Marowski:
Mentor
Questions
References
Bacharach, N., Heck, T., & Dahlberg, K. (2010). Changing the
the face of student teaching through co-teaching. Action
in Teacher Education, 32 (1), 3-13.
Badiali, B. & Titus, N. (2010). Co-teaching: Enhancing student
learning through mentor-intern partnerships. School-University
Partnerships, 4 (2), 74-80
Butler, B & Cuenca, A. (2012). Conceptualizing the roles of mentor
teachers during student teaching. Action in Teacher Education
34 (4), 296-308.
Conners, K., Siers, R., Jenne, J., Brown, M., Booth, M., & Outten, C.
(2011, September). “High maintenance” interns and the challenge
of pds sustainability. PDS Partners 7 (2), 13.
Gong, T., & Siers, R. (2011). Linking transformational
leadership to student teacher’s efficacy: Contributions of
mentor teacher’s leadership behaviors. Academic
Leadership, 9 (1)
Heck, T., Bacharach, N., Dahlberg K., Ofstedal, K., Mann, B., Wellik, J., & Dank,
M. (2010). Mentoring teacher candidates through co-teaching:
Collaboration that makes a difference. St. Cloud, MN: Teacher Quality
Enhancement Center.
References
Moir E. (1991). A guide to prepare support providers for work with beginning
teachers: Training module. New Teacher Success: You Can Make a
Difference. Riverside, CA: California Department of Education and
Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Siers, R. (2013, August). How to Conduct an Effective Mentor/Intern Co-teaching
Forum. PDS Liaison Workshop.
Siers, R., Elburn, S., & Ramey, C. (2012, September). The internship
journey through the lens of the student interns. PDS Partners 8
(2), 2-3.
Siers, R., & Gong, T. (2012). Examining the effects of mentor teacher’s
leadership practices and levels of interaction on student intern
efficacy in professional development schools. School-University
Partnerships, 5 (1), 63-74
Siers, R. (2011, May). Challenging the status quo in professional
development schools: Mentor teachers’ impact on student intern
efficacy. PDS Partners 7 (1), 4-5.
Siers, R. (2009). Teacher leadership. In D.W. Hammond & J. Buffone (Eds.),
Your first years of teaching: Beginning a journey of excellence
(pp. 117-119). Salisbury, MD: Seidel School of Education and
Professional Studies.